Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 20, 1931. w. w; RIEDEL 1,827,764,

' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24, 1927 J2} 3. GE; 1. 45 WW "1 A ..'--u... ....-..........r:...

Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER W. RIEDEL, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

FRIGIDAIEE CORPORATION,

A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed February 24, 1927. Serial No. 170,612.

This invention relates to cooling units for mechanical refrigerators, and more particularly to. cooling units which. are adapted to be installed in refrigerating cabinets of the household type. However, it is to be understood that the present invention may be adapted for larger refrigerating cabinets of the commercial type.

The present invention includes among its objects the provision of a cooling unitof simple and economical construction which a Will quickly congeal or freeze substances which are placed within a freezing compartment provided by the unit, and which will effectively cool the food compartment of the cabinet.

In carrying out the above object it is a further object to provide an improved cooling unit arranged to provide what may be termed a freezing zone for quickly and efficiently cooling or congealing a substance placed therein, and to provide what may be termed a cooling zone which is adapted to provide the general cooling of the refrigerator. My invention contemplates providing conduit means, herein shown as a pluralty of duct loops, in serpentine fashion which are arranged in such a manner that the inner loop portions of the serpentine provide the freezing zone, while the outer loop portions lie outwardly of the freezing zone in more intimate thermal association with the cooling medium such as the cooling air.

, Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet with the doors open in order to show the food compartment and a cooling unit within a cooling compartment.

Fig. 2 is a view on a larger scale than Fig.

1, showing the front view of the cooling unit which is suspended within the cooling compartment of a cabinet, the walls of which are shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cooling unit drawn to the same scale as Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the cooling unit.

Referring to the drawings, refrigerator cabinet which provides an L- shaped food compartment 21 separated from a cooling compartment 22 by a horizontal partition 23 and a vertical partition 2%. The partition 24 is provided with a flue 25, admitting relatively warm air from the food compartment 21 to the cooling compartment 22; and the partition .23 is provided with a flue 26, admitting cooled air from the compartment 22 to the compartment 21. The partition 23 supports a baffle 27 which prevents moisture, dripping from the cooling unit above, from entering the flue 26. The baflie 27 directs such moisture upon the face of the partition 23, and this moisture is conducted away through a drain pipe 28.

"The cooling unit located withthe cooling compartment 22, includes a boiler or header 30 attached to the top wall of the cabinet by bracket members 31 and 32. Refrigerant is conducted to the header 30 from a refrigerant circulating mechanism, (not shown) preferably a compressor and condenser, through a pipe 33 and a fitting 34-. Refrigerant is admitted from the fitting 34, as needed, by a float-controlled valve (not shown), of suitable construction, located within the header 30. Expanded refrigerant is conducted back to the compressor through a fitting 35 and a pipe 36. The refrigerating compressor and condenser with which the pipes 33 and 36 are connected, may be located outside of the cabinet, if desired, or maybe placed within a machine compartment located below the food comp artm cut 21, said con'ipartment 20 designates a upper SllI'- having a removable front wall 37 provided with louvres 38.

in metal trays- 40a insertable withm the sleeves.

Thesleeves 40 are superposed preferably below the header and adapted to be enclosed by sinuous conduit means. The conduit means is herein shown as comprising a plurality of single looped metal ducts 42, of good thermal conductivity, having their free ends connected to and communicating with the header. These ducts are arranged preferably in a horizontal row and each includes branch portions connected by means of a yoke portion 43. The branch portions of each loop are bent in serpentine fashion, providing a series of oppositely disposed 1nner and outer loop portions 44 and 45 respectively, all lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of the header. The inner loop portions co-operate with the header and the yoke portions to enclose the sleeves 40. The outer loop portions are spaced more remotely from said sleeves and are adapted to be subwarmer .air circulating through t jected to the air which circulates through the cooling chamber 22.

By virtue of the arrangement of the ducts as herein shown and described, I have provided, in a'simple manner, a coolin unit having a freezing zone for quickly reezing or congealing a substance and a cooling zone lying outwardly from the freezing zone, for cooling a medium such as cooling air. The loop portions 45 provide the cooling zone for circulating air for the general cooling of the refrigerator and loop portions 44 being nested withinthe cooling zone are rotected by the loops 45 and thus shielded rom therelatively warm circulating air whereby the temperature of the freezing zone is maintained relatively lower. The header 30 being disposed above the ducts, aids in shielding the freezing zone and the shielding of the freezing zone is effected also by the frost, which will collect more rapidly about the inner loop portion 44 of the ducts, than about the outer loop portions 45. The outer loop portions 45 being entirely subjected to comparatively e cooling chamber, the accumulation of frost upon these'coils will be relatively slow, permittlng them properliy .to cool, the circulating air. During the i le periods of the refrigerating machine, defrosting of the loops 45 may take place, but some frost will remain upon the duct portions 44 and the sleeves 40 to maintain them at the desired low temperature during this idle period.

The yoke 43 is provided with a loop 46 shown substantially midway between the two branch portions of the duct and extending in a direction away from the header. It will of course be understood that numerous such loops can be provided and that they may be formed in any portion of-the yoke. This loop provides means whereby the branches .of the various ducts may be moved inwardly or outwardly to cause the loop portions 44 to fit snugly the sides of the ice tray sleeves 40 which are preferably thermally bonded to the sleeves.

The present invention provides for freezing substances and for cooling the, circulating air of the refrigerator cabinet by means of ducts having the minimum number of connections with theheader. By the use of separate ducts for cooling the air and for quick freezing, a minimum of two rows of connections upon each side of the header is required, Since each single loop duct of the present invention has thermal transfer portions for quick freezing, alternating with thermal transfer portions in the air currents, only one row of connections on each side of the header is required.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a header, single looped conduits communicating with the header, each conduit comprising branch portions and a connecting yoke portion,the branch portions being serpentined to provide inner and outer loops, the former cooperating with the yoke and header to provide a freezing zone, the outer loops being spaced more remotely from said freezing zone.

2. A cooling unit according to claim 1, in which the inner loops, forming the freezing zone, are comparatively wider than the outer loops, thereby presenting a straighter and comparatively longer end surface.

3 A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a header, single loo )ed conduits communicating with said header, each conduit comprising branch portions and a connecting yoke portion,the branch portions having serpentine bends providing a series of oppositely disposed inner and outer loop portlons, the former together with the yoke portions and the header providing a freezing zone, the latter being spaced more remotely therefrom.

4. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a header, single looped conduits depending from said header. each conduit comprising branches and it connecting yoke portion, the branches having serpentine bends providing a series of oppo- 'sitely disposed inner and outer loops, all lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of the header, the inner loops cooperating w1th the yoke and header to'provide a freezmg zone, the outer loops being spaced more remotely therefrom.

5. 'A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, a header, single loo ed conduits communicating with the bee er, each conduit comprising branch portions and a connecting yoke portion, provided with a loop extending in a direction away from the header, the branch portions being serpentined to provide inner and-outer loops, the former cooperating with the yoke and header to provide a freezing zone, the outer loops being spaced moreremoteLy from-said freezing zone.

6. A cooling unit formechanical refrigerators comprising, a plurality of loops each of which includes branch portions and a connecting oke portion all coo erating to provide a eezing zone, the yoiie portions each including a part lyin adjacent the freezing zone and a part extending awayfrom said freezing zone, thereby providing means for bending the yoke portion to increase or decrease the space between the branch portions.

7. A, cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, single looped conduits, each conduit comprising branch portions and a connecting yoke portion, the branch portions having serpentine bends providing a series of oppositely disposed inner and outer loop portions, the former together with the yoke portions providing a freezing zone, the latter being spaced more remotely therefrom 8. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, single looped conduits,

each conduit comprising branches and a connecting yoke portion, the branches having serpentine bends providing series of oppositely disposed inner and outer ioops lying in the same plane, the inner loops co-operating with the yoke to provide a freezing space, the outer loops being spaced more remotely therefrom.

9. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators comprising, conduit means having branch portions and a connecting yoke portion, the yoke portion having a part co-operating with the branch portions to form a freezing zone for an ice tray and having an outwardly extending part of flexible material', thereby providing means for readily bending the yoke portion to vary the distance between said branch portions.

10. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of a cooling medium to be cooled thereby, said. cooling unit comprising a header, conduit means operativeiy connected with the header, said conduit means comprising oppos'ed branches, one of said branches being ar-- ranged in serpentine fashion to provide loop portions, certain of the loop portions cooperating with the other branches to provide a freezing zone adapted to receive an ice tray and other of the loop portions being disposed outwardly of the freezing zone and adapted to extend in intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover.

11. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of a cooliiig medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprising a header, a plurality of ducts connected in parallel circuit relation with the header, said ducts being arranged to provide opposed sets of ducts, one of said sets being arranged in serpentine fashion to provide loop portions, certain of said loop portions cooperating with the other set to provide a freezing zone adapted to receive an ice tray and the other of said loop portions being disposed outwardly of the freezing zone and adapted to extend in intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover.

12. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of a cooling medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprising conduit means including opposed branches, one of said branches being arranged in serpentine fash ion to provide loop portions, certain of said loop portions cooperating with the other branch portions to provide a freezing zone adapted to receive an ice tray and other of the loop portions being disposed outw'ardl of the freezing zone and adapted to extend in intimate thermai association with the medium flowing thereover.

13. in a refrigerating apparatus, acooling unit adapted to be laced in the path of a cooling'inedium to he cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprising a plurality of ducts arranged in a plurality of opposed sets, the ducts in one set being of serpentine fashion to provide loop portions, certain of the loop portions cooperating-with the ducts of the ,other set to provide a freezing zone adapt-ed to receive an ice tray and other of the loop portions being disposed outwardly of the freezing zone and adapted to extend in intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover.

14:. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of a cooling medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprising a plurality of duct loops arranged in a plurality of opposed sets, the ducts in one set being serpentine fashion to provide loop portions, certain of the loop portions cooperating with the ducts of the other set to provide a freezing zone adapted vto receive an ice tray and the latter being disposed outwardly of the freezing zone an adapted to extend in intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover. 15. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of a unit adapted to I and other of the loop portions being disposed outwardly of the freezing zone and adapted I to extend in intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover.

16. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling be placed in the path of a cooling medium to be cooled thereby, said cooling unit comprising conduit means arranged to provide opposed branches, one of said branches being of serpentine fashion to provide loop portions, a support for an ice tray, certain of the loop portions being in intimate thermal association with said support and other of the loop portions being disposed outwardly of the support and adapted to extend in moredntimate thermal associa-- tion with the medium flowing thereover.

17 In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of a cooling medium to be cooled thereby, said .cooling unit comprising a support adapted to carry an ice tray, and conduit means arranged in serpentine fashion to provide a vertically extending portion thermally connected with the support and to provide a portion extending outwardly from the support and adapted to extend in more intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover.

18. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the ath of a cooling medium to be cooled there y, said cooling unit comprising a support adapted to carry an ice tray, a headeradapted to contain refrigerant, and conduit means connected with the header, said conduit means being arranged in serpentine fashion to provide a vertically extending portion thermally connected with the support and to provide portions extending outwardly from the support and adapted to extend in more intimate thermal association with the medium flowing thereover.

19. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cooling unit adapted to be placed in the path of cooling medium to be cooled, said cooling unit comprising a header, ducts connected with the header, said ducts being of serpentine fashion and arranged in opposed rows extending horizontally, the loops of the serpentine of one row extending but spaced from the loops of the serpentine of another row providing a horizont gated refrigerating zone between 20. In a refrigerating ing unit adapted to be place i s cooling medium to be coole comprising header, dilCi S e the header, said ducts being arranged in rows extending horizontally, the ducts of one of said rows being of serpentine fashion, the inner loop portions of the serpentine extending toward the ducts of the other row but spaced therefrom, providing a horizontally elongated refrigerating zone between same and said other row.

. In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature. I

WALTER W. RIEDEL. 

